His story - your tapestry

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,  for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
 
Do you have a first memory of God?
How old were you? 

​One of my most treasured memories is
when I must have been around two years old.
I was walking through the basement halls of
a Kansas Presbyterian church, holding
my mother’s hand.  She was taking me
to my Sunday school room,
while going to her room to teach Sunday school.

As my mother was holding my hand then, God has held not just my hand, but all of me from the very beginning.  As a 12-year-old, He held me while I loomed over her casket just 10 years after that precious walk through those church halls.  He held me as I took my wedding vows, moved towns, cried, worked, loved our family, grieved, celebrated milestones, and walked through three cancer diagnosis’s. 

Hills and valleys are woven throughout our tapestries of life.  They tend to wax and wane, although admittedly, some stay for a lifetime. I believe that hills and valleys are always both present at the same time, just one may paint thicker and heavier than the other at certain points in our tapestry.

Romans 8:28 is one of His verses the Lord keeps close to my heart: 
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,
 for those who are called according to his purpose."
 
At first, He showed me that we are to love Him, for He created us to love Him and love others.  Next, He reminded me that He is working for our good, especially when we don’t think that, see it or feel it, because His ways are higher than our ways.
But I truly felt the wholeness of this scripture when He showed me: “ALL THINGS.” ​

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A few years ago, I woke up on
Thanksgiving morning,
just months after
my second tongue cancer surgery,
hearing His voice asking me
to be thankful for ALL.
For the first time in my life, I was! 
I could see the entire tapestry.
I was thankful for everything…the good, the bad and the ugly of my life.  
I could see the bright, bold colors and the dark, dingy ones.  I could see the parts of heavy paint and other parts of bright, flowing paints.  

It was liberating to see God’s goodness abound in every area in my life, no matter the heaviness or lightness. His mercy and grace love us beyond our finite thoughts. Just as He walked through those church halls with this 2-year-old and my mother, He walks with each of us every day.

He creates our tapestry as part of His story.  He gives us His Word to cherish, to study, to encourage, and to fight our battles with. God is our sun and our shield through our blessings and battlefields.
Praise be to Him!
 
Let’s pray:
Father God, we praise You for who You are, our redeemer and our friend.  You created the universe and everything in it.  Your hand guides, provides and sustains us in every situation, every day.  Forgive us as we struggle to make sense of events that rock our lives. Lead us to know You, to love You, to share You with others, and to understand that You are the author and painter of our lives.  May we come humbly before You with a heart that understands our lives are Your precious tapestry.
In Your mighty name we pray,
​Amen.
​

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